Neckband clamp



E. N. NECKEL Aug. 22, 1939 NECKBAND CLAMP Filed July 6, 1936 FIG.3

INVENTOR EDMUND 2 BY? N. NECKEL ATTQRNEYS Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNHTEB STATES 'NECKBAND CLAMP Edmund N. Neckel, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Norwood, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 6,1936, Serial No. 89,002

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in tures will be more clearly understood from the neckband clamping mechanism for use in shirt pressing machines, It is customary in pressing mens shirts by machine to provide a neckband block or former at one end of the lower pressing member and during a pressing operation the neckb-and of a shirt is draped about this former and clamped thereto by a clamping band to hold that portion of the shirt in proper position during the pressing operation. Many of the shirts at present in use are of the collar-attached type and difiiculty is encountered or excess time is consumed in arranging the front points of the collar so that the i pressing operation may be properly carried out. When the neckband portion of a shirt is. draped about the neckband block or former the collar tends to stand up about the edges of the former and the collar points are likely to be caught by no the clamping hands now in use so that the pressing operation is improperly carried out or extra time is consumed in repeating the clamping operation to properly arrange the collar points. Other devices have been proposed for holding the collar points out of the Way but these require extra time on the part of the operator and add to the cost of pressing the shirts.

One of the features of my improved clamping device is the arrangement of aclamping band to move downward into preliminary position in front of the neckband former, the final portion of such downward movement being inwardly toward the former so as to avoid engagement with the upstanding collar points.

Another feature of my invention is the provision of a clamping band as described in the preceding paragraph which is entirely separate from the neckband block or former so as to leave the block unobstructed to permit easier draping of the shirt neckband thereabout.

Other features of my invention include the arrangement of the clamping band which in unoperated position moves to a point entirely beyond the lower pressing member so as to leave a .clear space vertically above this member while the unpressedshirt is being draped thereon.

The invention also includes novel structure for carrying out the above described purposes, including also an operating handle for the device 50 which by a short stroke lowers the clamping band into position before the neckband former and by a slight additional movement clamps the neckband against the former and novel arrangements of biasing means for holding the clamp in both 55 operated and unoperated positions. These feaaccompanying drawing and description and the essential features will be summarized in the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. l is a front elevation of a 5 portion of a pressing machine showing the lower pressing member and my improved neckband clamping mechanism in raised position; Figs. 2 and 3 are views of the left-hand portion of Fig. 1 showing the clamping mechanism in two different operated positions; Fig. 4 is a plan View of the mechanism of Fig. 3 with the clamping band shown in dash-dot lines in the position of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a fragmental view showing a rear elevation of the mechanism of Fig. 3; while Fig. 6 is a fragmental side elevation of the mechanism of Fig. 3 taken from the opposite side of the device.

In the drawing, it illustrates the frame of a pressing machine upon which is supported a lower pressing member or bed I I of a type commonly used in pressing mens shirts. At the left end of the bed is shown a neckband former or block 12 secured to the bed and having a generally semi-circular front face I3 against which the neckband portion of a shirt is clamped. It will be understood that in this type of pressing machine an upper pressing member is used adapted to coact with the member H in a shirt pressing operation and that such upper pressing member has a cutout portion for accommodating the neckband former l2 during the pressing operation. These pressing machine parts are notillustrated as they are well known in this art.

When .a shirt'is draped on the pressing mem- 5 ber H with the neckband in position about the former !2 as indicated in dash-dot lines in Figs. 2 and 3, the points It of a collar-attached shirt extend upwardly somewhat in the manner there shown and it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a clamping band for coaction with the front face 13 of the neckband former arranged in a manner to move downwardly and inwardly toward the former so as to avoid coming in contact with these collar points and S045} disarranging the collar. To this end a clamping band i5 is mounted for rotation about a pivot I6 located above and to the rear of the neckband former i2. It results from this arrangement that rotation of the clamping band about its band former. This clears the collar points I4 even when they extend perpendicularly upward or even if they fall forward slightly. To carry the clamping band I5 into a substantially horizontal position as it engages the pressing bed the clamping bandis mounted upon an arm I! preferably by the pivotal connection I8. The band I5 is held in substantially perpendicular position relative to arm I! so that as the arm is rotated in a clockwise direction from the position of Fig. l to the position of Fig. 2, the clamping band reaches substantially horizontal position with its free end I5a contacting the pressing bed slightly in front of the forward face of the neckband former as the arm I'I reaches substantially vertical position with pivot I8 approaching dead-center position below the pivot or shaft I6. It results from this arrangement that a slight additional rotation of arm I 'I in the same direction from the position of Fig. 2 to the position of Fig. 3 moves the free end I511 of the clamping band substantially horizontally toward the neckband former clamping the neckband in position. This slight rotation from the position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 3 occurring at approximately the dead-center position of pivot IB below pivot I6 gives a horizontal movement to band l5 with substantially no vertical component thereto. However, to accommodate the slight adjustment necessary between band I 5 and. arm I! during its final horizontal clamping movement, I prefer to arrange a yielding connection between the parts I5 and I1.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated an L-shape bracket I9 is pivotally connected to arm. I! at the point I8 and the clamping band I5 is secured to one leg of the bracket extending in the same direction. The leg Isa of the bracket extends along arm I1 and a spring 2U connected between I So and arm I? biases these parts toward each other. The free end of the bifurcated leg I9a engages the shaft IE or associated parts as shown in Fig. l to limit the position of bracket I9, holding the clamping band I5 at substantially right angles to the arm II. The shaft I6 is pivotally mounted in a bracket Ifla and at one end is provided with a handle H by which the shaft I5 and the arm I! rigid with the shaft are rotated as illustrated in the various views.

It will now be apparent that with the parts in the position of Fig. 1, handle 2I may be rotated in a clockwise direction to the position of Fig. 2 during which time spring 20 holds bracket I8 and the clamping band in the same relative position with respect to arm I1. During the movement of the parts from, the position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 3, however, the leg I 9a moves to the left relative to arm I? as shown in Fig. 3, thus extending spring 20 which because of its position above the pivot I8 tends to move the band I5 in a clockwise direction and therefore holds it securely upon the shirt.

Means is provided for holding the clamping band in both uno-perated and operated positions. In the form shown an arm 22 is rigidly secured to shaft I6 and a spring 23 is connected between the free end of arm 22 and a pin 24 on bracket Illa. This spring is so located that it is thrown past the axis of shaft I6 as the handle 2| is moved from the position of Fig. 1 to Fig. 2. It results from this construction that spring 23 biases the parts to their unoperated position as shown in Fig. 1, but upon reaching the position of Fig. 2 the spring 23 biases handle 2I and shaft I6 for movement in a clockwise direction and this spring is sufliciently strong to complete the clamping operation, moving the parts to the position of Fig. 3 and holding them there. With the parts in the position of Fig. 1, a projection 22a of arm 22 engages pin 24 to limit the counter-clockwise movement of shaft I6 and the associated parts.

It will be noted from the above description and a study of the drawing that the neckband clamp is moved from unoperated position as in Fig. 1 to clamping position as in Fig. 3 by a movement of a little over 90 of handle 2I. About 90 is necessary to move the parts to the position of Fig. 2 and about 8 more is necessary to complete the clamping movement.

To release the clamping device, handle 2I is moved in a counterclockwise direction from the position of Fig. 3. During the first portion of this movement arm I! moves band I5 toward the right as viewed in Fig. 3, during which time the tension of spring 20 is relieved and the parts move to the position of Fig. 2. Further counterclockwise rotation of handle 2| moves the clamping band to the position of Fig. 1.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a frame, a neckband former, a neckband clamp adapted to coact with the forward face of said former, a shaft supported by said frame above and to the rear of said former, means supporting said clamp for rotation about said shaft and for movement rearwardly relative to said shaft, means for rotating said clamp including an arm on said shaft connected with said clamp, the parts being so proportioned and arranged that said clamp when rotated about said shaft is carried to a point slightly in front of the forward face of said former and then rearwardly into engagement with said former, a spring connected to said arm and frame, and said arm and spring being so arranged that said spring crosses the axis of said shaft during said rotation of said clamp.

2. In a device of the character described, a pressing member, a neckband former thereon, a neckband clamp adapted to coact with the forward face of said former, an arm having a pivotal mounting above and to the rear of said former, said arm being rotatable from a position extending forward from said pivot to a position extending downwardly from said pivot, said clamp being mounted on said arm spaced from said pivot and substantially perpendicular to said arm and rotatable therewith, said arm and clamp being proportioned and arranged to move the free end of said clamp substantially into engagement with said pressing member a short distance in front of said former when said arm is rotated to position extending downwardly from said pivot, said arm being mounted for movement rearwardly beyond that necessary to produce member-engaging position of said clamp, whereby said am is adapted upon additional rotation in the same direction to move said clamp to said former.

3. A device as in claim 2, and including a yieldable connection where said clamp is mounted on said arm to permit relative movement between said clamp and arm during said last-mentioned additional rotation of said arm.

4. In a device of the class described, a frame, a pressing bed carried thereby, a neckband former on said bed, a neckband clamp adapted to coact with the forward face of said former, a shaft rotatably mounted on said frame above and to the rear of said former, an arm rotatable with said shaft and extending forwardly therefrom, said clamp being pivotally mounted on the free end of said arm, the distance from said shaft to pivot being substantially equal to the height of Said shaft above said former, and means yieldingly holding said clamp and arm together substantially at right angles.

, 5. In a device of the class described, a frame, a pressing member carried thereby, a neckband former on said bed, a clamping band adapted to coact with the forward face of said former, a shaft rotatably mounted on said frame above and to the rear of said form-er, an arm rotatable with said shaft and extending forwardly therefrom, a bracket pivotally mounted on the free end of said arm and carrying said clamping band, the distance from said shaft to pivot being substantially equal to the height of said shaft above said former, there being a projection on said bracket extending along said arm, a spring biasing said projection toward said arm, means for rotating said shaft, and the parts being so proportioned and arranged that rotation of said arm substantially to vertical position below said shaft moves said clamping band substantially into engagement with said pressing member slightly in front of said former and thereafter further rotation of said arm in the same direction moves said clamping band toward said former against the action of said biasing spring.

6. In a device of the class described, a frame,

a pressing member carried thereby, a neckband former on said bed, a clamping band adapted to coact with the forward face of said former, a shaft rotatably mounted on said frame above and to the rear of said former, an arm rotatable with said shaft, an L-shape bracket pivotally mounted on the free end of said arm, one leg of said bracket extending along said arm and biased theretoward by a spring, said band being mounted on the other leg of said bracket in extension thereof, said arm and bracket being arranged to move said band from raised position into substantially horizontal position in engagement with said pressing member slightly in front of said former by rotation of said arm from position forward of said shaft to substantially vertical position below it, and arranged upon further arm rotation in the same direction to move said band horizontally into engagement with said former, means for rotating said shaft, and means for holding said band in raised and in clamping positions.

'7. In a device of the class described, a neckband former, clamping means adapted to coact with the forward face of said former, a shaft rotatably mounted above and to the rear of said former, mechanism connected between said shaft and clamping means for lowering said clamping means to a position in front of said former by rotation of said shaft and for moving said clamping means substantially horizontally toward said former by continued rotation of said shaft in the same direction, means biasing said clamping means toward raised position, said biasing means being arranged for movement to a second position by shaft rotation, and said biasing means in said second position being adapted to bias said clamping means toward said former.

EDMUND N. NECKEL. 

